5 Videos That Will Change Your Mind About Inclusive Education

I don’t know which side of the fence you are on in regard to inclusive education. And for all intents and purposes…it does not matter. This post could just as easily have been called, No…Really…I’m Not Crazy…Inclusive Education Works! Usually when I talk to people who are not familiar with the idea of having students with disabilities (including significant disabilities) in the general education setting they say they are having a hard time “wrapping their head around it” or want to see “what it actually looks like”. So…just for those of you who need to see it to believe it, I have picked out five videos that will most definitely change your mind about whether inclusive education is really a good thing or not (or at least they should).

Including Issac is a 13 minute video about a boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and his story of inclusion in a private Christian school in Michigan. It takes commitment from a school on all levels to make inclusion work for students with significant disabilities and this a clear example of how coming together for the benefit of one student can benefit all students. Watch this beautifully filmed and powerful video.

Damian’s Inclusion Project

This video was made by the Georgia Department of Education (2011) to highlight a pilot inclusion program for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in cooperation with Cobb County Schools. I am currently working on a follow up video to show how Damian is progressing through his 4th grade year (slated Fall of 2014). He is currently included for all segments in general education.

Thasya Lumingkewas, 8, has autism and thrives at Maple Wood Elementary School in Somersworth, NH. The school has implemented Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This film highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication.

Tana Vogele’s Story

Every year since Kindergarten, Tana Vogele has been included in general education classrooms despite her significant physical and intellectual disabilities. Watch this compelling video about the friendships that have been nurtured during her 4th grade year and what inclusion does to a classroom and school community.

This short film (16:39) focuses on Axel Cortes and the staff at Idelhurst Elementary School in Somersworth, NH. Axel is a fifth grader with autism who is non-verbal and exhibited significant behavioral challenges when he arrived at school. Axel came to Idelhurst during his 5th grade year from another school where he was exclusively in self-contained settings and was being taught preschool/kindergarten level. Through effective implementation of supports – including AAC, UDL, RtI, social stories, visual schedules and positive behavioral supports – Axel was able to learn 5th grade general education curriculum in a general education classroom within a few months. His challenging behaviors also decreased, and he thrived through interaction and engagement with ‘typical’ peers. Once Axel had an effective means of communication, the staff found that Axel was was bilingual and bi-literate (his family speaks Spanish at home).

This film illustrates the potential for students with significant cognitive disabilities to achieve high academic outcomes. The film has received support from the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC).

The video shows how Axel accesses his environment via Augmentative and Alternative Communication as well as how his classmates accept him into their community. Watch how Axel is learning to type independently and makes strides with communicating his wants and needs in the general education setting.

Sometimes we need to see examples of inclusion to really understand that it is possible and happening all over the world. Perhaps you are the one who can influence your local school to implement inclusive practices.

Tim Villegas has worked in the field of special education and with people with disabilities for over ten years. Tim has turned his passion for blogging and promoting ideas about inclusive schools and communities into his own website, thinkinclusive.us. He believes that we can create a bridge between educators, parents, and advocates (including self-advocates) to promote ideas, innovation and inspiration to change our world to be more accepting and value each and every human being. Tim lives with his fetching wife and three adorable children in Marietta, GA.

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Thank you.
I am a special needs mom x2.
Thank you for these clips.It was an extra boost that I needed to stay on track for my very special children.

Amanda

Thank you. I’m a professional in the field of ABA (a BCBA). This is my goal for all the students I work with. It’s so awesome to see what can be accomplished when we all work together for the benefit of the child.

I am working on inclusive education. We have make approach to government education department for inclusive education. we are able to establish a primary school as inclusive school. We have trained two teachers for this purpose. than we have able to admit 8 child with disabilities in that school. now we are continuously working but no supporting organization is coming forward to patronage.

About Us

Think Inclusive is an online resource that promotes the full and authentic inclusion of people with disabilities in their school and communities through education and advocacy.

Tim Villegas

Founder and Curator-At-Large

With over 10 years of experience in special education and with people with disabilities, Tim Villegas has turned his passion for blogging and promoting ideas about inclusive schools and communities into his own website. He believes that Think Inclusive can create a bridge between educators, parents, and advocates (including self-advocates) to promote ideas, innovation and inspiration to change our world to be more accepting and value each and every human being. To learn more about Tim, visit his About Me page.

Zachary Fenell

Staff Writer

Personal experience with his own disability cerebral palsy (CP) drives freelance scribe and author Zachary Fenell to utilize writing and social media for promoting disability awareness. Zachary’s memoir Off Balanced (available on the Kindle and Nook) explores how his CP affected him socially throughout adolescence. To learn more about Zachary, visit www.zacharyfenell.com.

Lydia Wayman

Editor-At-Large

Lydia Wayman is an autistic young adult and advocate. She has her B.S. in Elementary Education and MFA in English and Creative Writing. Lydia combines professional knowledge with personal experience to reach parents and professionals through her blog, books, articles, and speaking engagements. She also works part-time at a nonprofit autism resource center and enjoys mentoring girls on the spectrum. Her message is that people are awesome not despite their differences but precisely because of them.

Kathy Hensel Porter

Featured Contributor

Kathy H Porter, a writer, author and fierce parent advocate for adults on the autism spectrum, spent 10 years figuring out job strategies to support her son who has Asperger's Syndrome. You can pick up a copy of her 10 page FREE REPORT with tips about how to write job related explaining scripts right here. Follow her on Twitter: @kathyhporter.

Lisa Friedman

Featured Contributor

I helped to build a synagogue special needs program from the ground up and I am proud to be able to offer my professional support & expertise to others through a wide variety of workshops and presentations. I firmly believe that everyone has a right to learn Torah and feel connected to his/her heritage. I can help you make that a reality. Contact me for a wide variety of professional presentations and workshops for teachers, parents and teens.

Emily Ladau

Social Media Specialist

Emily Ladau is a writer and passionate disability rights advocate whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. In the years since hanging out with Big Bird and Elmo, Emily has continued to develop her career through working for and volunteering with multiple organizations to foster opportunities and develop resources for the disability community.
Emily blogs at Words I Wheel By, keeping it real about her experiences as a disabled twenty-something and challenging people to consider all aspects of the disability experience in new ways. You can also find her work featured on sites including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Disability.gov. Emily’s goal is to harness the powers of communication and social media as tools for people with all types of disabilities to develop their inner voice for advocacy.
For more information, connect with Emily via the Words I Wheel By page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @emily_ladau.

Aaron DeVries

Social Media Specialist

My name is Aaron DeVries. My background is in accounting but ever since I discovered my daughter Cecelia has special needs my heart has been somewhere else. I have been actively involved in the disability community for that last five years in various capacities and have loved every minute of it. I love to connect with others in the disability community so together we can make the world better for our children and those yet to come.